When P.V. Sindhu made her way to the court, the crowd at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium went berserk. The Olympic silver medallist did not let her fans down, putting on a fantastic show to defeat Ji Hyun Sung.
Sindhu’s victory helped Chennai Smashers record a 4-3 win over Mumbai Rockets in the Premier Badminton League here on Tuesday. With her team up 3-1, Sindhu (World No. 6) toppled World No. 3 Sung 11-8, 12-10 to seal the fate of the tie.
The lanky Sindhu used her reach to cover the court, and her exceptional wrist work gave her a distinct advantage when she closed in on the net. The 21-year-old took the first game with a crisp smash, which brought an end to a tremendous exchange.
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The opening stages of the second game saw a marathon 44-shot rally — the highlight of the rubber. Sindhu later established a 9-6 advantage, but Sung pulled it level at 10-10. An ill-timed service error from Sung, however, gave Sindhu match-point. A fierce hit from the Indian got her past the finish line.
Earlier, Chennai’s P. Kashyap fell to H.S. Prannoy 9-11, 11-13. Chris Adcock and Gabrielle Adcock — Chennai’s trump — gave the unit a 2-1 lead by going past Chirag Shetty-Nadiezda Zieba 9-11, 11-2, 11-7.
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Mumbai’s Ajay Jayaram (World No. 19) started brightly against World No. 21, Tommy Sugiarto, but started to fade as the encounter wore on. Jayaram set the arena alight with flair and athleticism, but unforced errors cost him dearly.
The results:Chennai Smashers bt Mumbai Rockets 4-3 [P. Kashyap lost to H.S. Prannoy 9-11, 11-13; Chris Adcock & Gabrielle Adcock (T) bt Chirag Shetty & Nadiezda Zieba 9-11, 11-2, 11-7; Tommy Sugiarto bt Ajay Jayaram 8-11, 11-2, 11-5; P.V. Sindhu bt Ji Hyun Sung 11-8, 12-10; Chris Adcock & Mads Pieler Kolding lost to Yong Dae Lee & Nipitphon Puangpuapech (T) 3-11, 5-11] .